Myxobolus buckei sp n. (Myxozoa), a new pathogenic parasite from the spinal column of three cyprinid fishes from the United Kingdom

Myxobolus buckei sp. n. is described from the spinal column of Leuciscus cephalus (L.), Rutilus rutilus (L.) and Abramis brama (L.) from freshwater rivers in the North of England. The plasmodia develop within the remnants of the embryonic notochord in the intervertebral spaces. The spores are large, measuring (in mum) 14.0 +/- 0.7 x 11.5 +/- 0.6 (mean +/- SD), smooth, round to ellipsoid in valvular view with several sutural edge markings. The polar capsules are pyriform and of equal size, measuring 7.5 +/- 0.5 x 4.2 +/- 0.2 (mean +/- SD), with 11-12 turns of the polar filament arranged perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the polar capsule. The parasite has a large intercapsular appendix and large iodinophorous vacuole. The parasite can be differentiated from all known species of Myxobolus Butschli, 1882 by a combination of the morphological characters defined. Infected fish show marked longitudinal compression of the body compared to uninfected individuals of the same year class, a feature which is pathognomonic for the disease. Histologically, host responses ranged from mild hypertrophy of the zygapophyseal process and expansion of the intervertebral membrane to complete hypertrophy and fusion of the vertebrae. Prominent notochord is present in the intervertebral spaces of infected fish and sporogony of the parasite leads to a vigorous focal inflammatory response involving proliferating fibroblast and osteogenic cells. The parasite causes a radial expansion of the centra and extensive dorsal and ventral outgrowths of the vertebrae leading to compression of the spinal cord and blood vessels running through the neural and haemal spines respectively. The parasite is considered highly pathogenic to juvenile cyprinids.